Monday, March 30, 2009

The beauty of the Sonoran
Desert after a wet spring is fabulous. The winter has been witness to
quite a bit of precipitation. This tremendous growth of weeds presents a
great fire danger for the late spring and summer months. A lot of the
dead, older growth provides fuel for the slightest spark whether
accidental or natural. A dry desert is often marred with dangerous
wildfires in the late spring and the early summer months prior to the
monsoons.

The fire danger increases as late spring
and early summer temperatures increase. The wildfire season has
increased dramatically as more and more people move to the arid deserts
of the American Southwest. Many of these new residents don’t realize the
extreme danger of a dry desert under the extreme high temperatures of
summer. This desert tinder can be as volatile as gasoline.

Most wildfires result from one of two
things; lightning or human carelessness. Lightning usually occurs during
the July monsoons, and most fires prior to the monsoons are human
caused. It is usually a carelessly tossed cigarette or an abandoned
campfire that causes these fires, and could cost you your home and your
life.

As we move into summer, families are
beginning their summer vacations and outdoor activities. These
activities include backyard cookouts, camping, and other activities. Any
of these enjoyable activities can lead to disaster if we are careless
with fire.

I have witnessed many major wildfires in
our area during the past 55 years. The first real wildfire I recall
occurred in July, 1949. This fire raged out of control east of Reavis
Ranch for several days before it was brought under control. Another wild
fire broke out west of Roosevelt Lake in the Pinyon Mountain area in
1959, and burned several thousand acres of the Tonto

National Forest before it was contained. Lightning caused those fires.

A fire broke out south of the Reavis
Ranch in 1966, destroying much of the Ponderosa pine forest in the area.
This fire was known as the Iron Mountain burn and was attributed to a
campfire. The forest service planted drought resistant grasses in the
area to prevent soil erosion. This grass has become the climax
vegetation in the area today.

A large wildfire raged through Needle
Canyon in 1969 destroying several thousand acres of desert landscape. An
abandoned campfire was the likely cause of this fire, which eventually
burned itself out because of the inaccessibility to the area.

I witnessed and photographed one of the
most dramatic wildfires on the slopes of Superstition Mountain in July
of 1979. This fire raged across the slopes of Superstition Mountain with
a fifty foot wall of flame engulfing everything in its path. This fire
was caused when a high wind blew over a charcoal grill in somebody’s
yard near the base of the mountain. One careless neighbor endangered
hundreds of lives and millions of dollars of property as the fire spread
over the mountain within an hour. The smoke was so thick Superstition
Mountain could not be seen from State Route 88 (Apache Trail). If it had
not been for slurry bombers many homes would have been lost in this
fire and lives could have hung in the balance.

On July 4, 1983, another major fire
raged on the eastern side of Superstition Mountain destroying several
thousand acres. This fire eventually burned its self out. Needle Canyon
was struck with another wildfire in March of 1984. This fire burned up
the northeastern side of Bluff Springs Mountain and eventually also
burned itself out. Abandoned campfires most likely caused these fires.

There was a large wildfire in the area
of the Massacre Grounds and along the northwestern slopes of
Superstition Mountain in April of 1984. This fire was contained and in
some areas burned its self out. Several other man-made fires occurred in
the wilderness or around Superstition Mountain between 1984 and1994.

The next big fire to strike the region
was the Geronimo blaze near the Gold Canyon development area. This fire
started around June 11, 1995 and was fought for three days. A hundred
and twenty fire- fighters eventually brought this blaze under control
before lives or property was lost. Twenty-three hundred acres were
destroyed by the fire and it threatened several homes near Gold Canyon.
This particular fire produced huge columns of smoke that could be seen
from Phoenix skyscrapers.

This past four or five years has been
quiet except for the Lone Fire on Four Peaks Mountain near the end of
April 1996. The Lone Fire destroyed almost sixty-two thousand acres of
the Tonto National Forest. o put this figure in perspective, this would
be almost one third of the Superstition Wilderness Area. This was one of
the most devastating fires on public land adjacent to the Superstition
Wilderness Area during the past twenty-five years. The Superstition
Wilderness experiences some kind of wild fire almost each summer. On
several occasions the wilderness has been closed to camping and hiking
during extreme during extreme fire conditions.

This historical accounting of wildfire
in our area gives you some idea of what a potential fire hazard the
desert can be between late April and mid July. Precipitation is often a
double-edged sword. Rain always brings relief to a dry desert region
reducing fire danger, but it always produced an abundant growth of brush
that can create more fuel and cause more fires. Precipitation also
causes severe erosion in areas that have been burned and denuded of
vegetation. This in turn destroys the watershed that is so crucial to
water conservation in an arid place like Arizona.

As the dry season approaches, the fire
danger will continue to escalate bringing dangerous conditions to our
desert. There is plenty of tinder and dead-fall to burn on the desert.
Once the high temperatures arrive and dry out the tinder it is extremely
volatile.

Your care with fire and open flames at
all times is extremely important and will protect us all. Smoking should
be confined to automobiles or buildings during extreme fire conditions.
Your caution with fire protects us all and the firefighters who fight
these desert fires.

We can help by having reasonable
firebreak around our home, especially if we live on a large lot
containing a lot of dry tinder. I would like to encourage everyone to be
extremely careful with matches, cigarettes, outdoor cooking, power
tools, and any other use of open flames or sparks. Fire safety in the
desert starts at home and should be practiced at all times. For more
information about fire safety; call the Apache Junction Fire Department
at 480.982-4440.

Monday, March 23, 2009

My life is filled with many
memorable experiences, and my first visit to the old Reavis Ranch in the
1950s I can easily reminisce. Alice and Floyd Stone operated the Reavis
at that time, and Floyd Stone was John A. Bacon’s son-inlaw.

Floyd “Stoney” Stone was ramrod on the
Tortilla and Reavis allotments. Stoney’s handshake and smile were
genuine and made you feel welcome after a long drive over a terrorizing
road up the mountain from the Apache Trail. Stoney had given me
permission to drive up to the Reavis Ranch.

I wanted to visit Circlestone and hear
more stories about this unusual archaeological site above the Reavis
Ranch. Circlestone had captured my imagination since old “Red” Cowan had
taken me there several years prior.

While at the Reavis Ranch, I was able to
observe and study the Western beauty and decor of the ranch house. The
kitchen had a long wooden table with benches on both sides. All meals
were served on this table. The copper-paneled ceiling of the kitchen
appeared out of place for such an isolated ranch house.

Alice Stone kept the copper polished and
clean. There were three windows in the kitchen and a large wood burning
stove for cooking. The front room or living room dominated the decor of
the ranch house setting. At the west end of the room was a large
fireplace. The hearth was framed with peeled pine logs that had several
cattle brands burned into them for decor. Western style wooden
furniture filled the room. The floor was covered with large Navajo rugs,
while the ceiling displayed open round timbers. Scenes of cowboys and
cattle adorned the walls on framed canvases. The light filtered through
the paintings adding life to them. Here and there a Native American
artifact was displayed. I will never forget the subtle beauty of the
ranch house’s interior. It was such it made you feel at home
immediately. The interior had the aura of a rustic old museum.

The exterior of the house exhibited
carefully laid sandstone rocks. On the west end of the building was a
room separated from the remainder of the house by a large breezeway
running north and south. The east side of the ranch house displayed a
large screened porch with flagstone columns. There were two bedrooms on
the south side of the house. On the other side of the breezeway there
was a bathroom and a storage area.

Using a ladder, you could climb into the
attic where numerous things were stored and where occasionally a tired
cowboy would throw his bed down.

The Stones sold the Reavis Ranch to the
Department of Agriculture in 1967 for $80,000 and 20 acres of patented
land at the old IV Ranch near the Apache Trail.

Native Americans were the first humans
to occupy the Reavis Valley. They may have settled here some 5,000 to
10,000 years ago. These early residents settled here for the same reason
Elisha Marcus Reavis did in 1874, and that was water. This high
mountain valley has the only permanent stream flowing year around in
this entire region. Native Americans, farmers and cattlemen all
cherished and coveted this beautiful valley and its abundance of water
in a desert environment. Numerous archaeological sites, including
Circlestone, dot the towering knolls that surround Reavis Valley.

Elisha Reavis died in April of 1896,
some four miles south of the Reavis Valley. Shortly after his death,
John J. Fraser, better known as Jack Fraser, a local cattleman, took
over the Reavis Valley and its water rights. Fraser, like Reavis, was
just a squatter on this land. Fraser never acquired title because at the
time he was not a citizen of the United States. Fraser operated the
ranch from 1896-1909.

Fraser sold his interest in the ranch to
William J. Clemans in January of 1909. Clemans patented 140 acres of
the Reavis Valley on January 16, 1919. He and his sons operated the
ranch until 1946, when it was sold to Bacon and Upton. John A. Bacon ran
the ranch from 1946 until 1953. Bacon’s son-in-law Floyd “Stoney” Stone
took over operation in 1954.

During the period 1909-1954 many
improvements were made at the Reavis Ranch. A road was put in from the
Apache Trail to the ranch in 1946. Almost two miles of irrigation canals
were dug for irrigating the 600 apple tree orchard and 60 acres of hay.
A large pond was created near the ranch house to irrigate the ranch
lands. There was even a small sawmill constructed to make lumber.

A Mormon company known as Pineair Summer
Resort Company tried to market small lots in the valley 1909-1919. The
construction of a railroad to Prescott from Phoenix ended the dream of
this ill-fated company. They were able to start a road to the Reavis
Valley, but never finished the project.

The valley became part of the Tonto
Forest Reserve in 1909, and served as the site of the first Camp
Geronimo for the Roosevelt Boy Scout Council in June of 1922. Swimming
merit badges were awarded because of the small lake in the valley.
Governor Campbell rode into valley as a guest of the Roosevelt Boy Scout
Council.

Finally, in 1946, the long promised road
was completed into the valley, but was closed in 1968, surviving only
twenty- two years. The old ranch survived another twenty-three years
through famine, fire and vandalism, however the old homestead could not
survive the pressures of the Nineties.

It was around Thanksgiving of 1991, a
fire erupted in the old ranch house and it was burned to the ground. The
fire on the mountain crushed the dreams of many who had envisioned the
old ranch being a way station for those who needed a protected rest stop
in the wilderness. All that remains today is the concrete slab where
the ranch house once stood.

The old ranch will no longer be a haven
for wayward campers, hikers, or horseman. It will no longer protect the
weary traveler from a thundering rainstorm, a raging blizzard or the
freezing cold.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Over the years I have mention
some of the remote and seldom used trails in the Superstition
Wilderness Area. There are several wilderness purists who enjoy these
trails while they remain anonymous. Most of them would prefer these
rarely used trails were not made public. For this reason I refrain from
telling the world about some of the more interesting areas within the
confines of the region to protect these sensitive areas from over
impact.

I have not publicized the trail to the
top of Summit 5024 in detail because of the hazards of riding that
trail. Hiking that particular trail would be no real problem. An old
friend of my amed Monte Edwards called the trail to the top of the
Summit 5024, the “Old Spanish Trail.”

Personally I doubt any Spaniard ever
walked this particular trail or even came close to it. Edward’s always
believed the Spanish Jesuits climbed to the top of Superstition Mountain
to draw their maps of the area. These stories resulted in the “Legend
of El Gato.” It is believed by some “El Gato” was a Spaniard or Mexican
who climbed to high points in the Superstition Mountains and sketched
maps.

There is another trail that is a real
challenge for man and beast. The old Quarter Circle U Trail from First
Water to Carney Springs. To follow this trail today would be a challenge
for any experienced hiker. The last time I rode up to Willow Springs
the old trail had almost been obliterated by brush and flash flooding;
especially that portion of the trail just below Willow Springs and the
old stone corral. I am sure the trail has not improved much since then.
Monte Edwards and Don Shade prospected the area for several years and
kept the trail brushed out. The area above Willow Springs is densely
overgrown today. I am not sure you can even ride a horse through the
upper portion of the trail to the saddle above Carney Springs.

Willow Springs was the site of Adolph
Ruth’s camp in the late spring of 1931. Ruth left his camp around June
15, 1931, never to return again. His skull was found north of Bluff
Springs Mountain, east of Needle Canyon and near the Three Red Hills
along the old First Water-Charlebois Trail on December 10, 1931. The
remainder of his body was discovered by William A. Barkley and Jeff
Adams in January of 1932. Ruth’s search for the Lost Dutchman mine
became national news for about six months between June 1931 and January
1932 because of his disappearance. How he died remains a controversy to
this day. Many individuals still believe Ruth was a victim of homicide.
The authorities reported Ruth’s death as an accident resulting from
exhaustion and dehydration.

A short distance above Willow Springs is
located a large stone corral. Most of these old corrals have vanished
from the wilderness area. The stone corrals that survive today are a
fitting monument to the hard work of the cattlemen who worked these
mountains for almost a century. Twenty- five years ago we packed out an
old scraper (Fresno) from the Willow Springs Corral. I am sure it was
used to level the floor of the corral when it was being used. I once
asked Barkley if he ever used the stone corral. He told me he always
moved his cattle out to First Water or to the old Brush Corral in
Boulder Basin. I am not sure anyone used that corral in West Boulder
Canyon after the turn of the century. There was the old brush corral in
Boulder Basin that Barkley used to work and gather cattle in that area.
The West Boulder Canyon country is extremely rough and a difficult place
to work cattle. A cowboy’s best helper in this country was a good cow
dog.

The area around Willow Springs has
always played a role in the story of the Lost Dutchman mine. The site
was always a good source of water in the summer months. Over the years I
have made several trips into West Boulder and I seldom came across
anyone. A new interest has developed for West Boulder Canyon and
particularly the area around Willow Spring because of Adolph Ruth’s
death in summer of 1931. Actually the canyon is a beautiful area filled
with many interesting things. There are several prospect holes in the
canyon, a stone corral, a couple of very old camps with reminders of the
past, and even an “ORO” carved in stone near the confluence of Old West
Boulder and West Boulder Canyons. There are several short and
obliterated trails that lead to old diggings along the course of West
Boulder Canyon.

I was first introduced to West Boulder
Canyon by Bill Barkley when I worked for him in the 1950s. I remember
riding into the canyon with him and his two cow dogs. When Barkley would
see a calf and cow he wanted to check out he would have the two dogs
corral the stock rather than us chase them through the rocks. Horses
don’t do well hopping over big boulders. We had our share of wrecks in
those rock strewn canyons. In the mid 1950’s we were still fighting
Screw Worm infestations. It was common for Screw Worms to develop in a
calf’s eyes or their navels. By 1959 the Screw Worms were practically
eradicated by the U.S. Government sterile fly campaign and program.

Sometime during the early 1980’s a
prospector or Dutch hunter named Braun worked a prospect above the old
Stone Corral in West Boulder. He was very secretive and not too
friendly. He rode a horse and had two pack mules. I ran into him several
times during the 1980s. I often heard dynamite charges he set off prior
to December of 1983. He had dug an incline shaft about thirty feet deep
in a side canyon. He had shored the inclined up with native timbering.
He used short pieces of Mesquite timbers. I found his diggings about two
years after he abandoned it some time in the late 1980s. The
interesting thing about Braun is he worked the incline like old time
prospectors from the 1870s. His technique of excavation was kind of
interesting.

He was very meticulous in the way he
timbered his incline. He also hid the waste from the incline. He used a
sled-box to move his waste and what ever he was getting out of the
incline. Braun’s work is just another mystery among the many mysteries
of the Superstition Wilderness Area. Monte Edwards often talked about
his prospect, but didn’t really know anything about him or what he might
be recovering from the site.

There were several prospectors who
worked West Boulder Canyon over the past decades. Don Shade, Monte
Edwards, Mr. Braun, and the Whistler are just a few. Their stories
contain tales of lost gold and buried treasure. It is these stories that
continue to attract people to the area in search of their dreams.

There are hundreds of prospects within
the Superstition Wilderness Area and each of them probably has an
interesting story associated with them. All of these prospects required
money and energy to develop. They are always a reminder of who was here
before we were.

Sometimes I look at them as a futile attempt, but a positive one at trying to prove out a dream.

Monday, March 9, 2009

How do you preserve the
legacy of the old “Dutchman” of Lost Dutchman Mine fame? Maybe by
letting the world know who talks, writes, and hunts for the Lost
Dutchman Mine or the gold of Superstition Mountain!

The Apache Junction’s Chamber of
Commerce’s Lost Dutchman Days parade committee made an esteemed effort
to preserve the history and legend in this manner. They assembled the
largest group of local writers, historians, collectors, and builders of a
legacy. Most of these individual have been involved with the tale of
the Lost Dutchman Mine for more than forty years; some have been
involved with the mountains for more than fifty years. It is for this
reason the LDD Parade Committee picked ten Grand Marshals for the 2009
Lost Dutchman Day’s Parade. Congratulations to them for their foresight
and planning for the future preservation of the history and legend of
Superstition Mountain.

The Lost Dutchman Day’s Committee chose
to put all these individuals on a single float. This challenge was
answered with a 20 foot flat trailer and a row of hay bales in the
center of the bed. Prior to our ride down Apache Trail we posed for a
group photograph. I certainly want to share this photograph with you.
Jayne Feldman took this photograph otherwise I couldn’t have been in it.

At precisely 10 a.m. Chris Hansing of
Arnold’s Motors, did his volunteer duty for the day and pulled these
ancient relics through Apache Junction on the old Apache Trail for 2009
Lost Dutchman Days Parade. Chris is a great outdoorsman and loves to
drive his ATV. We warned him to take it easy or he might loose one these
old Dutchman fossils along the Apache Trail.

I would like to write a little narrative
about these individuals who rode on the Lost Dutchman Day’s Grand
Marshal Float. Most of you know who I am from the many columns I have
written for the Apache Junction News over the past ten years and I have
lived in the area far to long. Some say over fifty years or more. I was
the co-founder of the Superstition MountainMuseum with Larry Hedrick and served on the board for twenty years.

Next to me is Robert Schoose, the
founder of Goldfield Ghost Town. This is a man who moved to Arizona from
California with a dream and followed through. First, he spent a little
time in the early 1970’s looking for the Dutchman and found the pickings
a bit lean. He and his wife LuAnn decided to build a Ghost Town along
the Apache Trail in 1984. Today Bob and LuAnn’s achievement is a
landmark along the Apache Trail northeast of Apache Junction.

Ron Feldman came over from California
with a dream to discover the Dutchman’s Mine in 1966. He soon realized
he needed income to search for gold so he opened a livery stable known
as the OK Corral. He started this business with a burro named Phoenix.
Today Ron and Jayne have one of the most successful stable operations in
the Southwest.

Next is Robert K. Corbin. He moved to
Arizona after law school in 1957, so he could hunt the Dutchman’s mine.
He was Maricopa County Attorney and then the Attorney General of Arizona
for twelve years, 1980-1992. Corbin has searched for the Lost Dutchman
Mine since 1957.

George Johnston arrived here about 1952
and fell in love with the desert. He became involved with the
Superstition Mountain Historical Society and served as President for
several years. He was a columnist for the Mesa Tribune for several
years.

Next is Larry Hedrick. Larry is the
co-founder of the Superstition Mountain Historical Society in 1979.
Larry and Tom organized a temporary board of directors when the museum
was incorporated in March of 1980. Larry had been dedicated to the
building and preservation of the Superstition Mountain Museum.

Next to Larry Hedrick is Clay Worst.
Clay has hunted for the Lost Dutchman Mine since the late 1940’s. He
served as the first president of the Superstition Mountain Museum when
it was first incorporated. Clay had dedicated much of his life to the
museum and its goals.

Standing beside Clay Worst is Jim Hatt.
Jim has dedicated more than twenty years to the search for gold in the
Superstition Mountains. He has searched for the Dutchman and the Peralta
lost mines. Jim served as director of the museum for a couple of years
when the museum was located at Goldfield.

Next to Jim is Gregory E. Davis. Greg
has collected material on the Lost Dutchman Mine, Superstition Mountain
and the general area since childhood. He undoubtedly has the largest
assembled collection of topic specialized material on the subject. His
collection exceeds that of any museum or library in Arizona or the
Southwest. Greg is presently the archivist for the Superstition Mountain
Museum. If you have any questions about the Lost Dutchman Mine or the
area you should contact Greg through the Superstition Mountain Museum.

Another most interesting aficionado of
the search for Coronado’s gold is Salvador Delagadillo. I first met
Salvador in 1977 when he was working for a prospector in the mountains.
Sal has been searching for the gold of Superstition Mountain for more
than thirty years. Sal may never find the gold, but he has a heart of
gold when it comes to helping others. Everyone knows about Sal’s
willingness to help others.

Now you have the names of the ten Grand Marshals of the 2009 Lost Dutchman Days and parade.

Monday, March 2, 2009

The trails of the
Superstition Wilderness Area have yielded many interesting characters
during the past century. They came here to search for lost treasure or
gold mines. These individuals followed in the footsteps of Coronado’s
Children, according to Frank J. Dobie, noted western author. If anyone
could be classified as one of Coronado’s Children the ‘Whistler’ was
certainly such a man.

This obscure recluse wandered the deep
canyons and towering peaks of the Superstition Wilderness for more than
two decades. His search for the Lost Dutchman Mine began in 1939, and
was immediately interrupted by World War II. The Whistler’s first
knowledge about the Lost Dutchman Mine came from Barry Storm’s book, On
the Trail of the Lost Dutchman.

The Tortilla Flat area served as the
Whistler’s base camp from 1949-1951. In the years following 1951, he
prospected an area around Willow Springs. The Whistler walked from First
Water to Apache Junction monthly to up pick his VA disability check and
his monthly supplies. He was always whistling a tune.

Keen eyes of hikers and prospectors
rarely spotted the whistler. They often heard him, but didn’t see him.
Even the Barkley cowboys rarely saw him.

He always wore dark clothing, even
during the hot summer months. His dark clothing was his trademark. It
was his whistling at night while he walked that gave him his nickname.
His nocturnal habit of hiking through the Superstitions at night during
the summer months caused other prospectors to be suspicious of him. Some
men claimed he was a camp robber.

It was quite strange for cowboys to be
sitting around a campfire and hear somebody whistling a tune while
walking in the distance. Many of us believed the Whistler was afraid of
the dark, whistling to vent his anxiety.

The Whistler spent much of his time in
the West Boulder Canyon area. His camp was located in the high rocks
above the canyon floor. He chose this location because he wanted a camp
safe from detection and from the flash flood waters of West Boulder
Canyon.

While rounding up cattle in West Boulder
Canyon in the spring of 1959, we came across the Whistler’s Camp by
accident. We heard somebody with a serious cough. When we rode up the
hillside to investigate we found the Whistler flat on his back with
either the flu or pneumonia. Barkley sent me back to First Water and
Apache Junction to contact the Sheriff’s Office. The next day the
Whistler was taken out of the mountains and admitted to the Pinal County
General Hospital then transferred to the VA hospital at Fort Whipple
near Prescott. The Whistler asked us to look after his meager belongings
while he was in the hospital. I rode back to his camp three days later
with a packhorse and picked it up. Among his possessions was a small
Christian Bible given to American soldiers during World War II with the
following inscription in it: “To Hal, The service you have given to your
country in the time of war will never be forgotten by this grateful
nation,” signed General “Hap” Arnold, U.S. Army, 1943.

How ironic this statement was I thought.
Here was a man who gave everything for his country in the time of war
and now was just trying to hold on to a few meager possessions while
hospitalized. I couldn’t imagine the Whistler being a war hero, and also
being in this desperate position. To this day I don’t know who the
Whistler was, except for his first name. Bill Barkley just considered
him another one of the nuts hunting for the Lost Dutchman Mine and
wanted me to clean up his camp. He might not have been a war hero, but
somehow he had attracted the attention of General “Hap” Arnold.

This tale enlightened us about those who
we sometimes prematurely judge. Most of the cowboys thought the
Whistler was a bum wasting time on a legend of gold. The Whistler
eventually returned to the First Water Ranch and picked up his camp from
our tack shed where I had place it. He returned to the mountains to
search for his dream.

The only treasure the Whistler found in
the Superstition Mountains was probably peace and solitude. He never
found gold, but then again he may not have been searching for it. I had
only met the man once, and to this day I don’t recall exactly what he
looked like. What I do recall were his penetrating blue eyes, gray hair,
and his rugged calloused hands. Was the Whistler a war hero? Or was he
searching for peace and solitude to ease his tired and worn out soul?

He is now a forgotten man swallowed up
by time. He’s a ghostly face from the past that once defended our
nation, walked the trails of the Superstition Wilderness and followed in
the footsteps of Coronado’s Children. Ironically I have never forgotten
General Hap Arnold’s words, “never to be forgotten by this grateful
nation.”

Many lost souls have roamed the
Superstition Wilderness over the decades searching for gold. The
Whistler was just one of many searching for peace and solitude. Many
years later Tim O’Grady told me the man I knew as “The Whistler” was a
highly decorated hero of World War II who had an extremely difficult
time readjusting to civilian life after the war.

If you have time today, tell a veteran
thanks for his sacrifice that has insured us a free nation. You don’t
have to wait for a national holiday to do this my friends.

Welcome to the Kollenborn Chronicles

Tom Kollenborn is a noted author and historian of the Superstition Wilderness. He is also one of the leading experts on the Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine legend and has written numerous articles and books about the Apache Trail and related history. Tom shares his experience with the public every week in the Apache Junction News with a publication called the "Kollenborn Chronicles.” This website is made possible because of Mr. Kollenborn's extensive research and dedication of preserving the history of the Superstition Wilderness and the historic Apache Trail of Arizona.